Which to use
“patting” is a noun and “pouting” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #32,530
- “patting” frequency rank
- #41,816
- “pouting” frequency rank
- 74346
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | patting | pouting |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The act by which something is patted. | present participle and gerund of pout |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set patting and pouting apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: patting is /ˈpætɪŋ/ while pouting is /ˈpaʊtɪŋ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 74346, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
patting is recorded at frequency rank #32,530, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈpætɪŋ/. pouting is at rank #41,816, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈpaʊtɪŋ/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 74346, this pair ranks #36,639 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of patting vs pouting
Shared letters: ginpt. Private to "patting": a. Private to "pouting": ou.
"patting" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "pouting" · 7 letters · shape CVVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "patting" and "pouting" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "patting" or "pouting"?
Remembering patting vs pouting
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “patting”; for a verb, it's “pouting”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “patting” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable